2.—(1) The period for which bereavement support payment is payable is as follows.
(2) The period starts—
(a)on the date the person’s spouse or civil partner died, where the person claims the payment three months or less after that date; or
(b)at the beginning of the period of three months preceding the date the person claims the payment, where the person claims the payment—
(i)more than three months after the date the person’s spouse or civil partner died; and
(ii)no more than three months after the date the period finishes under paragraph (3).
(3) The period finishes at the end of the period of 18 months beginning with the day after the date the person’s spouse or civil partner died.